Two Western Conference playoff-caliber teams will square off tonight. The Phoenix Suns will visit the Houston Rockets at 8 PM EST with Alperen Sengun already being ruled out due to an ankle injury he sustained against the Dallas Mavericks, a game in which he only played one minute. Despite Sengun’s absence, the Rockets are still favorites for this game.
Against all expectations following Kevin Durant’s departure, the Suns are the 7th seed with a 21-14 record and will come to meet their former superstar on his new team. They’ve done this despite missing Jalen Green, who unfortunately will also be out for tonight’s game. We’ll miss two potential revenge games tonight.
The Rockets are currently –300 favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the point total set to 222.5. Below, I’ll break down tonight’s matchup and offer my prediction.
Phoenix Suns at Houston Rockets preview, prediction
The Suns are hot with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games, while the Rockets are 5-5. The Suns are also fresh off a three point upset against the first seeded Thunder, which was a huge home game win for them as they try to stay in the playoff picture in a very competitive Western Conference. They’ve won 6 out of their last 7 games and look like they’re on a roll and ready to cover the 8.5 spread for us tonight in Houston, which is missing arguably its best player.
A large part of the Suns’ success this season can be attributed to Dillon Brooks. Brooks is beloved in Houston and is having a career year in Phoenix, averaging 21.4 PPG while shooting a career-high 46.1% from the field. He’s traditionally been very inefficient as a scorer, but his lofty 54.1% from 2 point range has helped his scoring tremendously. He’s always been a tenacious defender, but if he’s able to inject this type of offensive output for his team then he’s a valuable piece indeed. We’ve yet to see a big sample of how he’ll fit in when Green returns, but I’m forecasting a sure drop in PPG as he’ll move to the 3.
The Rockets are sorely missing Fred VanVleet, and while Amen Thompson is a tremendous athlete and player, he’s not as adept at orchestrating the offense as VanVleet is. Despite missing VanVleet, the Rockets have surged to a 21-11 record while having the 6th rated defense.
Suns at Rockets pick, best bet
Best bet: Phoenix Suns +8.5 (-118)
Despite the Rockets’ impressive personnel, defense, and record, they’re missing their best player tonight and the Suns are scorching hot. I’m fairly comfortable in trusting the Suns to cover the spread tonight.
